Evans campaign takes moral stand on issues

Gale Rose

Thursday

Jul 31, 2008 at 12:01 AMJul 31, 2008 at 12:31 PM

This is the second of two stories about the two Republican candidates for state senator from the 33rd District, challenger Andrew Evans and Sen. Ruth Teichman. Today’s story features Andrew Evans. No Democrats filed for the position.

Editors note: This is the second of two stories about the two Republican candidates for state senator from the 33rd District, challenger Andrew Evans and Sen. Ruth Teichman. Today’s story features Andrew Evans. No Democrats filed for the position.

Republican Andrew Evans is eager to take some new ideas to Topeka. He decided there was too much fiscal irresponsibility in Topeka and determined to run.

Current legislative methods are not working, Topeka needs new ideas, and his opponent voted for bills that were fiscally irresponsible, Evans said.

The cost of the Capital building renovation and denying the permit for the coal-fired plant in Holcomb were the issues that pushed Evans into the race.

The $300 million capital renovation could have been done much less.

The governor shouldn’t have denied the coal plant permit. The governor is working for her own purposes to gain a seat on Presumptive Democrat Nominee Sen. Barack Obama’s cabinet, Evans said.

“That’s almost a conflict of interest,” Evans said. “I was shocked.”

Evans favors the coal plant, the transmission lines for wind generators and the jobs it would have created around Holcomb. He favors environmentally friendly legislation for wind and solar power.

The Legislature has to be accountable for increased funding for education. Progressing areas should be funded. He can’t promise an increase in education funding and thinks education could be more efficient.

He thinks more focus on private schools and home schools would have a positive effect on education.

“The competition would improve public schools,” Evans said.

He believes schools are trying to be more like parents, they are providing all day kindergarten, they provide two meals a day, they are teaching morals and ethics and are going from education to molding families.

“That should be up to families,” Evans said.

He is not opposed to the public school system, but that promoting both private and public schools will improve the public school system.

He wants congress to build a fence between the US and Mexico. He wants to crack down on illegals, have stiff fines for people who hire them, no driver’s licenses, no in-state tuition for illegals and deportation for illegals who commit a felony.

He opposes state owned casinos and said his opponent voted for it and it passed by one vote. He would have voted against it. Gambling will cause increases in crime and gambling addiction.

“I don’t think the government has any business in gambling,” Evans said.

He wants government back into the hands of the people. He wants to decrease taxes so the citizens will have more spendable income. It will increase their buying power and make up for the lack of funds created by tax cuts.

“I am not going to increase taxes,” Evans said.

He said his opponent would want more programs.

He opposes the Forward 54 plan to bypass Pratt, Kingman and Cunningham. It would hurt their economies. A lot of people would drive by, Evans said.

Evans is strongly opposed to funeral protests and the Fred Phelps group. He wants the state legislature to ban the protests so Phelps will either stop or go to jail. He believes the legislation would be legal.

Evans opposes a smoking ban in businesses. He does not smoke and does not condone it but he is against this legislation.

“It just takes me down a road I’m not comfortable with,” Evans said. “The government scares me more than smokers.”

If elected he would lead the charge to ban funeral protests, get more state government in local government hands and bring moral integrity to office holders. The coal plant and capital renovation are examples of a lack of common sense in Topeka.

He wants changes in the court system, is against frivolous lawsuits and wants a responsible cap on punitive damages.

Stricter animal cruelty laws are needed and government should help fund humane society shelters.

He said people should vote for him because his philosophies will lead to prosperity, he will vote for any pro-life legislation, and he is clear on where he stands.

Candidate Profile

Evans is single, he is a 36-year-old Christian Church minister from Protection.

He graduated from Southwestern Heights High School in 1991. He earned a bachelors in biblical literature from Ozark Christian College in Joplin, Mo. in 1995 then earned an MA in church history and historical theology from Lincoln Christian College and Seminary in Lincoln, Ill. in 1998.

He is a delegate to the National Republican Convention in St. Louis, has been the Republican Party Chair in Comanche County for seven years, the secretary of the First Congressional District Republican Party, is a member of Lions and has served on the church council in Protection.

This is his second bid for state office. He ran for state representative against Democrat Ethel Peterson in 2002 and lost but took 45 percent of the vote.